Rewrite History
by Mizushima Kazeko
Summary: Kagome has a strange dream one night, leading to an encounter with Sesshoumaru who also has these dreams. Under the watchful eye of Inuyasha, the pair tries to uncover the mystery behind them and find out who else may have been having this dream. New romances begin to develop and old promises are revealed. What are these dreams and why is Kagome the center of it all?
1. The Dream

**Chapter 1 - The Dream**

"Where...where am I?"

Kagome found herself shrouded in darkness. It was pitch black and she couldn't even see her own hand. The only sound she could hear was her breathing. Scared, she tried grabbing for the jar containing the Shikon jewel shards which should have been tied to the necklace around her neck, but alas, they were gone. She tried to grab for her bow and arrows but they were gone too.

"The Shikon jewel shards! My bow! Where are they? What's going on!?" Kagome panicked. She tried running in the darkness. She tried every direction. She screamed and shouted but no one could hear her. She was frightened, cold and all by herself. She felt like she had been there for hours, or even days. Soon Kagome gave up and sat down on the hard ground. "What is this place?" she whispered to herself. Looking around, she knew it was useless to run or call out. "Inuyasha...please save me." Kagome pleaded, tearing up with every word. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. "Someone...please...someone please save me..." she whispered. Suddenly, the ground fell beneath her and Kagome felt a sense of weightlessness. She screamed as she fell deeper and deeper into the never-ending, pitch black abyss. Then there was a speck of light. At the very bottom of the dark place Kagome was in, was a speck of light, which grew bigger and bigger as she got closer. Soon, the light consumed her, blinding her. And she heard a voice.

"I swear by the blood in my body that we will be together again."

* * *

"Kagome! Wakey wakey!" Kagome opened her eyes to see Sango peering at her face.

"Huh? Sango?" Kagome yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"You don't usually oversleep. I guess you must have been really tired after the battle with that yokai yesterday. It sure was a tough one, wasn't it?" Sango smiled at Kagome and handed her the yellow backpack.

"Kagome, what took you so long?!" Kagome turned to see Inuyasha crouching a rock nearby, eyeing her with distaste. "We were meant to leave at dawn!" he complained, before jumping off the rock and stretching out.

"I'm sorry. I just...I just had a long dream..." Kagome apologized. She stood up and grabbed some snacks and a water bottle from her backpack. She was famished.

"A long dream, huh? I've had a few good ones. What was yours about, Kagome?" Miroku asked. Everyone knew instantly what kind of dreams Miroku was talking about and they groaned. Shippou bounded up to Kagome with a curious expression on his face.

"Did you dream about us?!" he squeaked. Kagome finished taking a few sips from her water bottle and packed it back into her bag before opening a packet of potato chips to share. She put on her backpack and the gang started to walk down a forest pathway.

"Sorry, Shippou. I didn't dream about you. It was just pitch black and I was all alone. I guess I found it pretty scary because I remember..." Kagome cut herself off.

"Remember what?" Inuyasha peered at Kagome's face. Kagome looked away. She had remembered the voice which spoke in her dream and for some reason, it sparked a surge of emotions within her. Kagome felt like she was going to break down and cry but she couldn't understand why. _There's something else I'm supposed to remember. Something important,_ she thought to herself. _What could it be?_ She felt her eyes grow hot and she tried to cover her face. Kagome couldn't understand why she felt so overcome with emotion and she stopped abruptly in the middle of the pathway.

"Kagome?" Sango asked, with obvious concern in her voice. Kagome brought her hands to her head and shut her eyes. She shook her head violently.

"I'm sorry!" Kagome finally blurted out before running off the pathway and into the trees. She could hear the shouts of her friends calling after her but she ignored them. She sprinted through the forest, pushing through branches and jumping over overgrown roots. _I can't go back. Why can't I go back? Why am I running?_ Tears streamed down her face as she ran. She knew Inuyasha would probably catch up with her but she didn't dare to stop. Kagome's mind was overwhelmed with powerful emotions and her heart began to ache. Small twigs and leaves were tangled in her hair but she wasn't bothered by that fact.

"Kagome! Kagome! Where are you going!?" Hearing Inuyasha's shouts not far behind her, pushed Kagome to run faster. She glanced behind her to check whether Inuyasha was close. All of a sudden she ran into something white.

"Huh?" Kagome looked up with red eyes and puffy cheeks to see what she bumped into. _No. Why him of all people?_ Sesshoumaru stood before her with a contempt expression on his face. He glared at her scornfully with his piercing gold eyes in silence. "S-S-Sesshoumaru! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean t-" she stuttered before Inuyasha entered the clearing.

"Kago-Sesshoumaru?! Kagome, you idiot! Why the hell were you running?! Sesshoumaru, just leave her alone. She's not acting like herself." Inuyasha walked up and grabbed Kagome by the wrist before turning around and stomping away.

"You are pathetic, Inuyasha. Letting a human girl out of your grasp so easily." Sesshoumaru commented. Inuyasha spun around angrily and looked Sesshoumaru in the eye to talk back before hearing Kagome gasp loudly. She was frozen in her place with a terrified expression. _That voice...it couldn't be..._

"Sesshoumaru," she gasped, "he was in my dream." She slowly turned around to face Sesshoumaru as tears continued to fall from her eyes. She felt like she had known Sesshoumaru for a long time but at the same time, he was completely unfamiliar.

"In your dream? What does that have to do with anything?! Let's leave, okay Kagome?!" Inuyasha grew more impatient and tried to pull her away but she shrug him off.

"'I swear by the blood in my body that we will be together again.'" she whispered, still staring Sesshoumaru in the eye, "that's what you said."


	2. Going Home

**Chapter 2 - Kagome's Dream**

"I swear by the blood in my body that we will be together again." Kagome whispered, "that's what you said." Inuyasha's expression turned sour and he glanced at Sesshoumaru who stood in the clearing without uttering a word. As always, Sesshoumaru's face was cold and impassive.

"I have never said such a thing, wench." he snapped. Silence followed shortly before the sound of childish laughter entered the clearing. Rin hurried to Sesshoumaru's side, holding two fish in each hand.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Lord Sesshoumaru! I caught four fish! See? Jaken was too slow, he couldn't catch anything!" she panted. Exhausted, Jaken stumbled out of the trees and next to Rin.

"Impudent child! You distracted me!" he complained before falling onto his back from fatigue. The young girl pointed at Jaken and giggled before realizing Sesshoumaru had company. Her eyes widened with recognition before grabbing Jaken's arm and dragging him across the ground to A-Un. Sesshoumaru observed them for a few seconds before snapping his attention back to Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome had stopped crying. Twigs and leaves were tangled in her hair, and she had scratches all over her body from running through the forest. She looked desperate and exhausted. Her claim to what Sesshoumaru had said in her dream surprised him but he quickly brushed it off and turned slowly before joining Rin and Jaken. Kagome's knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground. Her mind was no longer overwhelmed with confusing emotions from her dream and her cheeks grew red. _What was I saying?! It was just a dream! How embarrassing! Oh God, and Inuyasha heard it!_ Kagome looked up at Inuyasha who scowled at her angrily. He marched off into the bushes without her to join the rest of their gang.

* * *

"Inuyasha sure looks angry with Kagome. I wonder what happened with Sesshoumaru." Miroku contemplated. Sango just shrugged and glanced at Kagome who sat her behind her on Kirara. Her face was as red as a tomato and her eyes were puffy from crying. Kagome only told her that they encountered Sesshoumaru in the clearing but that was it. No other details were shared. Shippou sat on the scruff of Kirara and he gazed at Kagome worriedly. She had run off after talking about her dream. Inuyasha finally broke the silence.

"Why would you run off like that, Kagome? It was just a goddamn dream! And of course, Sesshoumaru would never say anything like that! His heart is as cold as ice."

"Look Inuyasha, I don't know what happened, okay? The dream felt so real. It was overwhelming. I felt like I was going to break." Kagome responded.

"Break?! From a silly dream?! What kind of dream was it anyways? Did anything else happen besides what Sesshoumaru said?" Inuyasha's voice faded off at the last question. This irritated Kagome.

"What do you mean by 'anything else'? What are you accusing me of dreaming of?!" Kagome snapped. Sometimes she really couldn't understand how she could stand being with this guy, but love worked in strange ways and she didn't question it. Kikyou died for the second time a few weeks back and she remembered how heartbroken Inuyasha was. Kagome felt like a terrible person to have once wished for Kikyou to disappear, and now that it had come true, she felt even worse, yet at the same time relieved. Kagome found it odd that her only rival had been the girl from her past life. Kikyou and Kagome should have been the same yet their personalities were not at all alike. At the very least, they had the same love and the same enemy. Inuyasha and Naraku. And Naraku still had yet to be defeated.

"Well, it's not like you ever dream of me...or any of us. But when Sesshoumaru pops into your dream, you suddenly go bonkers! What's the big deal, Kagome?!" Inuyasha glared at Kagome suspiciously as they traveled. The sun was at it's highest point of the sky and similarly, Kagome's inner rage was it's highest.

"Osuwari!" she shouted, "Sango, please take me home."

* * *

After climbing out of the old well, Kagome sighed and dragged her bag along the ground to the door of her house. She was so grateful to be back home. The only thing was, she had a visitor.

"Oh hi, Kagome! Are you feeling better today? I just came to bring you some notes." Her classmate, Hojo, was just about to leave. He had a kind smile on his face as always. Kagome attempted to smile back. "You looked exhausted. Why are you lugging your backpack around? It's Sunday. Look, I'll help you bring it to your room." he bent down to help Kagome carry her bag but she kindly refused the offer. She didn't want him to stay any longer than he should.

"Thanks, Hojo but I can handle it. Why don't you start heading back home?" she waved him away and continued to drag her backpack towards her bedroom. Her mother was in the kitchen, making lunch.

"Oh, Kagome! You're back! You look absolutely worn out! Why don't you let Hojo help you with your bag?" Kagome's mother smiled sweetly at Hojo and nodded before continuing to cook lunch. Kagome sighed and agreed to let Hojo help her out.

"I guess it's okay," she admitted, defeated.

* * *

When they reached her room, Hojo blushed slightly and set down Kagome's yellow backpack. He'd asked Kagome out on dates a lot of times but entering her room was a whole different ball game. Kagome sat on her bed and lay down for a few seconds before sitting back up to thank Hojo. It was so nice to finally relax after a long journey in the feudal era, trying to find Naraku. She really wanted to take a break from yokai hunting and wanted to sleep on a proper bed. _It couldn't hurt to stay here for a few days, could it?_

"Thanks a lot, Hojo. I'm feeling much better now. Maybe I'll see you at school on Monday, okay?" Hojo nodded silently and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Um, do you think you'd be free on Saturday next week?" he asked nervously. Kagome's eyes widened with surprised and she considered it for a few seconds. _The others wouldn't mind, right? I'll just be here for a week. That's all. Oh, but anything could happen! What is Naraku planning?!_

"Er, I'll think about it. I'll let you know by the end of the week." Kagome smiled and the pair said goodbye to each other before Hojo left and closed the door behind him. Kagome lay back down on her bed and wondered if staying in her world for a week would be too long. _I wonder what would have happened if I never went to the feudal era in the first place._ She thought of all the things that would be different. _Maybe I would be going out with Hojo._ Kagome giggled at the thought but then she realized one important thing. _I would still have the Shikon jewel inside my body. I'd be putting my family in danger._ Kagome closed her eyes on that thought and began to dream. The same dream she had the night before. With the same voice of Sesshoumaru. And the same words being spoken.

"I swear by the blood in my body that we will be together again."


	3. The Visit

**Chapter 3 - Looking for Kagome**

The night was cold and Sesshoumaru stood solemnly on a cliff, looking out across the forest while Rin and Jaken slept with A-Un. In the morning, he had encountered Kagome and Inuyasha with Kagome claiming Sesshoumaru had promised to be together with her again in her dream. _It's exactly like the dream I've been having every night now. Except, my dream contained much more than just that_. Ever since he first saw Kagome, he had been plagued with the same dream. Every time he had it, more seemed to be added to it. There was always something new in the dream. On the first night, all he experienced was darkness and his own voice speaking. Then the next few nights, he heard more voices. He gradually started seeing unfamiliar fuzzy images in his dreams. _This is quite bothersome. What is it with that human girl?_ Sesshoumaru's golden eyes gleamed in the moonlight and his enchanting white hair blew in the wind. He narrowed his eyes. _What does this mean?_ He turned away from the cliff and approached his travel companions, gazing upon Rin's innocent sleeping face as he thought up a solution to his problem. _Inuyasha is one issue, but what would happen if I were to take that human girl's life? Will these dreams finally come to an end?_ Sesshoumaru contemplated the thought for a few seconds before deciding it was worth a shot.

"Jaken. I know you are awake. Get up, you fool." he demanded. Jaken's eyes flew open and he scrambled up to his feet.

"Ah, o-of course Lord Sesshoumaru. I was only l-listening for potential enemy attacks! I-I'm sure I heard a rustle in the bu-"

"Listen, you fool." interrupted Sesshoumaru. Jaken froze mid sentence and nodded his head eagerly. "Watch over Rin and A-Un. I will be gone for a short while."

"M-may I ask where you are going, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jaken queried just as Sesshoumaru turned to leave. Silence followed.

"There is something I wish to find out." Sesshoumaru declared before pushing off the ground and following the scent of Inuyasha and his companions.

* * *

"Honestly, Kagome is so annoying! How long is she going to stay over there anyways?" Inuyasha complained loudly. The gang was staying in Lady Kaede's village while Kagome stayed in her world. They had just finished dinner and were getting ready to sleep.

"As long as it takes, Inuyasha. How could you accuse her of having such dreams about Sesshoumaru? Clearly, something must have been bothering her so why don't you give her a break!" Sango nagged. After Kagome left to her own time, a tense atmosphere hung over the group and all Inuyasha had done was complain. Although the atmosphere was uncomfortable, Shippou was already fast asleep.

"What really happened, Inuyasha?" Miroku questioned. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and groaned.

"She said she had a dream with Sesshoumaru in it. She was all crying and stuff for some stupid reason!" Inuyasha grumbled. He didn't want to add any further details. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he felt.

"Is that really all? Something else must have happened, right?" Sango grew suspicious of Inuyasha's vague answer about Kagome's dream. She suspected that he was jealous of something.

"Look, can't we just forget about it and go to sleep already?" exclaimed Inuyasha. He crossed his arms and stormed out of the house, leaving the group. Sango and Miroku exchanged suspicious looks and shrugged their shoulders. They knew pressing for more answers would just get Inuyasha angrier than he was so they gave up for the night. Inuyasha made his way up a tall tree and sat on a thick branch, leaning against the trunk. _I'll get Kagome in the morning_ , he thought to himself before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Sesshoumaru landed outside the house where Sango, Miroku, and Shippou slept. He took each step with caution and sniffed the air. _I can smell Inuyasha's companions inside. Inuyasha is nearby somewhere but that girl is not here._ Confused, he wandered around the quiet village trying to track down her scent. _She couldn't be far, could she?_ At that moment, he caught her scent. He followed it into a forest and soon found himself standing in front of an old well. _The scent stops here_. Sesshoumaru was baffled at Kagome's disappearance and he peered down the well to see nothing but old bones and dirt. _Her smell leads down there._ Suspicious, he looked around to make sure no one was watching and he jumped down to inspect the bottom of the well.

As Sesshoumaru reached the bottom, a strange feeling washed over him, making him feel dizzy. He sniffed around the well and confirmed Kagome had been down here. All of a sudden, he caught her scent once again but this time it was much stronger as if she were nearby somewhere. Sesshoumaru leaped out of the well to find himself inside an old building. _What trickery is this?_ , he thought to himself. He found the door slightly ajar and opened it, walking outside to hear new sounds and smell new scents. Everything about the place was unfamiliar but he was absolutely sure Kagome was around here somewhere. He continued to follow her scent to another building he had never seen before. _The girl has been wearing strange clothes. Perhaps she is indeed from another world._ For a rare moment, Sesshoumaru felt fear. The atmosphere was completely different from his own time and it was nothing like he was used to. He could smell humans everywhere. Suddenly, he heard a loud honk from a car in the distance. Startled, he took a step back, accidentally kicking over a pot plant on the doorstep. It seemed old and like it had been glued together many times. It broke into many shards beside the doorstep and Sesshoumaru grimaced. He was definitely not acting like his usual calm self but he continued to keep a serious expression on his face. He looked at the door to the house and reached out to open it before a light turned on and a woman opened it herself, startled by Sesshoumaru's appearance. She had a similar scent to Kagome's but had short hair and a more aged face. Although she was caught by surprise for a few seconds, the woman began to smile and she put her hands together. It seemed like she was used to strange occurrences.

"Oh my! You have beautiful hair, young man. Are you perhaps looking for Kagome?" she queried, still cheery. Sesshoumaru was taken aback by her reaction. "Could you possibly be related to that Inuyasha? Of course, he has these lovely soft doggy ears. Maybe you've met him?" she continued. Sesshoumaru narrowed her eyes and glared at the woman sternly before hearing someone bounding down the stairs of the house.

"Mom! What was that sound from outside? Did something bre-Sesshoumaru?!" Kagome was in her pajamas and was clearly shocked at seeing Sesshoumaru on her front doorstep. "Mom, get back inside! What do you want, Sesshoumaru?!" Kagome pulled her mother away from the door and stood in front of Sesshoumaru bravely. She stared at Sesshoumaru straight in the eye without showing a speck of fear. It was silent for a few seconds before Sesshoumaru finally spoke.

"What world is this, wench?" he hissed. Right now, he didn't care about his strange dreams. All he wanted was to leave and go back to his own time.

"First, why did you come here? Did you follow me?" Kagome emanated never felt before confidence. Perhaps it was because he felt like she was responsible for the protection of her family and everyone living in her time. But when she gazed into Sesshoumaru's eyes, she didn't feel murderous intent in him. Instead, she saw something that she had never seen in his eyes. Fear. It confused her but she eventually understood why he would feel that way and she sighed. "It doesn't matter. Look, you must have come through the well. Just go back through." she beckoned for Sesshoumaru to follow and began to walk, barefoot, in the direction of the old well. As she walked off the doorstep, her foot stepped on something sharp and she yelped in pain. Grabbing her foot, she saw a piece of pottery from the broken pot plant stuck in the bottom of her foot. Blood dripped onto the ground.

"Pathetic." uttered Sesshoumaru. Kagome turned and stared daggers at Sesshoumaru.

"You're one to talk! Don't act so tough, Sesshoumaru! I can see it in your eyes. You're scared, aren't you? And don't think you can threaten me, I'm not as weak as you make me out to be!" she shouted, angrily. She had enough with Sesshoumaru's proud act. It was worse than Inuyasha's. In reaction to Kagome's outburst, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her scoffed. The smell of Kagome's blood spread throughout the area and it was especially strong to Sesshoumaru. And the scent sparked something within him. He suddenly remembered his dreams and with that, came a flow of unfamiliar emotions he always felt every time he woke up from them. He glanced at Kagome's wound and grimaced. Sesshoumaru felt something strange arise form the pit of his heart. It seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It was as if he had experienced this feeling a long time ago but at the same time, never experienced it in his lifetime. It confused him. On impulse, he made a decision.

"Is the pain serious?" he asked, looking away. Kagome's furious expression died down to a puzzled but still pained look.

"Well, I've had worse. But it's still pretty painful," she admitted. Sesshoumaru glanced at her face before looking away again.

"Humans are such weak creatures," he scoffed before noticing Kagome's eyebrows knitting together in annoyance so he quickly added, "but I will assist you."


	4. A Twinge of Kindness

**Chapter 4 - A Twinge of Kindness**

"Humans are such weak creatures, but I will assist you."

Kagome's mouth dropped. Her entire body froze with shock, it was as if she had turned to stone from his words.

"S-Sesshoumaru?" Kagome wasn't quite sure it was the same Sesshoumaru who despised humans and almost killed her a few times. To hear him say that he would help her was completely out of this world.

"Do not get the wrong impression, girl. You only reminded me of Rin. If she were here, she would probably ask me to help you." he snapped before picking Kagome up gently and carrying her princess-style into the house. _He means the little girl he travels with_ , Kagome thought, her heart beating rapidly. She was afraid Sesshoumaru would hear her heartbeat. He was a yokai after all and his ears could pick up the slightest of things. Kagome found the situation she was in all too weird and she tried to shut her eyes and open them again in hopes that it was a dream. She looked up at Sesshoumaru's face and wondered if there was a hidden motive behind those hateful eyes. Except...they no longer had hate in them. _What?_ Kagome thought. _It couldn't be. It can't be. It's...worry._ She was astounded at the new look in his eyes that no one ever thought was possible, especially for a cold-blooded killer like Sesshoumaru.

"Where do I go from here?" Sesshoumaru asked in a surprisingly quiet voice. Kagome realized they haven't moved since they reached the inside of the house. Sighing, she gave him directions to the bathroom where she could cleanse her wound.

* * *

Kagome turned on the tap in the bathtub and held a towel underneath it to soak up the water. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the metal pipe.

"What contraption is that?" he asked, eyeing it with curiosity.

"It's called a tap. It, uh, supplies water? Well, you just twist this part this way and the water comes out. When you turn it this way, the water stops. Simple. And this, of course, is the bathtub." Kagome demonstrated turning the tap on and off and she pointed to the bathtub. It felt silly trying to explain things like this but she knew Sesshoumaru might feel a little more comfortable if he knew even a little bit about the time he was in.

"Hand me that towel." he demanded, his eyes fixed on the towel Kagome held in her hands. She gave it to him and he ordered her to sit down. Kagome sat on the edge of the bathtub and Sesshoumaru knelt down in front of her. Slowly but gently, he held her injured foot in his hands and wiped away the blood with the towel. The smell of blood was not noticed by Kagome but it was very strong to Sesshoumaru. For some reason, he felt quite irritated by it. Most of the blood was wiped away and her wound had become much clearer. However, it was starting to bleed again.

"How irritating." he snapped. Kagome grimaced and reached out for her first aid kid to pull out a roll of bandages.

"Thank you Sesshoumaru, I think I can do this myse-" Sesshoumaru snatched the bandages out of her hand and quickly bandaged her foot. Kagome barely had time to react. All of a sudden, a strange wave of emotion overcame Kagome as Sesshoumaru inspected the now bandaged foot. It was the same wave of emotion she felt after she had that dream back in the feudal era. Kagome put her head in her hands and tried to overcome the feeling.

"What is the matter, wench?" Sesshoumaru snapped. Yet as soon as he finished the question, the same wave of emotions washed over him and he began to feel dizzy. _The same feeling as the dream?_ he asked himself. He glanced at Kagome's face and saw that she was clearly in pain. Emotional pain. Then everything blacked out.

* * *

Sesshoumaru woke up in darkness. He lifted himself off the cold, hard ground and looked around. It wasn't long before he could hear the heavy breathing of another being. Kagome.

"This place..." he started. He could hear Kagome gasp in surprise.

"S-Sesshoumaru? You're here too?" she stuttered "Sesshoumaru...I...I don't know where we are but I've been here before. I've been here in a dream. I think...I think this _is_ a dream." Sesshoumaru sniffed the air for the scent of Kagome and followed it until he could feel her presence right next to him. _So we really have been having the same dream._

"I've been here before as well." he admitted.

"You have? You mean...you mean you've had this dream before? The only time I've been here was today when I-sorry. I apologize for what happened today when I bumped into you." Kagome felt guilty and confused. _Am I sharing a dream with Sesshoumaru? Is this a dream at all?_ she thought to herself. Sesshoumaru scoffed and tried to remember the events of the dreams he had been having many nights before. It wasn't long before the ground gave way and the pair were sent falling into a void. Screaming, Kagome noticed a light at the end which she saw in her previous dream. Sesshoumaru also saw this light in his previous dreams. It was bright enough for him to see Kagome and out of instinct, he grabbed her by the waist and held her close as they were soon consumed by the light. Not before they both heard a voice utter a familiar phrase.

"I swear by the blood in my body that we will be together again."

 *****Author's Note*****

 _ **I'm sorry I haven't been updating for a while now. I have been quite busy lately and didn't have the time. I'll try to arrange a scheduled time for updating new chapters.**_


	5. Another Life

_Key Words:_

 _-hime = princess_

 _-ouji = prince_

 _omiai = marriage meeting_

 _hanyou = half demon_

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Memories**

Kagome awoke in a futon, inside of a room she was not familiar with. It was old and she quickly assumed that she was in the past. The room seemed greatly decorated and it smelled of fresh flowers. It also appeared to be frequently maintained as there was not even a speck of dust on the floor. Slowly sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and-and yawned, taking in the beauty of the room she was in. She tried to remember what happened the night before. _That's it. Sesshoumaru! We were in the dream together! We were falling and..._

"Kotomi-hime! It's me, Hanae. You are late for the omiai. The suitor is waiting." cried out a female voice from outside the door. Without thinking, Kagome's mouth moved on its own.

"Couldn't we cancel this omiai, Hanae? I'm exhausted," she replied. _What? My mouth is moving on its own!_ Then she started to stand up and stretch, realizing that she was wearing a kimono. However, something was not right. Spotting a mirror nearby, she walked up to it and gasped at the sight. It was her...but it wasn't at the same time. It was like an adult version of her with a more feminine appearance and silky straight hair. _What's going on?_

"Kotomi-hime. You can't put off another omiai. Lord Tsugushi will get mad." the girl called Hanae entered the room without hesitation and spotted Kagome by the mirror. _Am I...Kotomi-hime?_ Hanae had beautiful black hair tied into a bun. She wore a kimono as well and had a beautiful face. She seemed to be at a similar age to the body Kagome was in.

"Hanae, I didn't give you permission to enter my room." Kagome blurted out. It seemed like the body she was in had a mind of it's own. It moved it however it wanted and said whatever it wanted. She barely had control over it.

"Listen, Kotomi-hime. This omiai is very important. It's Makoto-ouji who has come to be your suitor," Hanae replied urgently. She began to help Kagome undress.

"Makoto-ouji? Is it true?" Kagome questioned. Her heart began to pound and unfamiliar thoughts and memories filled her mind. _What is this? Am I...am I in someone else's body?_ Hanae picked out a beautiful kimono and helped Kagome put it on. _I don't understand what's going on! I want to go home! Where am I?_!

"Yes, it is! Now hurry along and let Aki do your hair. You can't make Makoto-ouji wait longer." she ushered Kagome along. More memories came flooding into Kagome's head. She quickly learned that this Kotomi had a crush on the ouji named Makoto. They met many times previously and used to spend a lot of time together when they were young. All this new information made Kagome dizzy but she couldn't do a single thing. She was stuck in this body and couldn't get out. She didn't even understand why she was here.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered open to the sight of greenery. He was in a forest. The last thing he remembered was holding Kagome as they fell in that dream of theirs. Confused, he sniffed around for the scent of Kagome. Nothing. As he got up he noticed he was wearing different clothes. It wasn't the white kimono he was used to, but a black kimono. He noticed his hair was white as usual but it seemed longer. He narrowed his eyes and as he raised his hands to feel his hair, he noticed something quite remarkable. He had a left arm. _What is going on?_ he asked himself. Then he heard a few shouts in the distance. His ear twitched. _Twitched? Wait..._ Sesshoumaru put his hands up to his head and felt a pair of fuzzy ears poking out. He didn't have to think twice to realize that he was a hanyou. _How disgusting._ Suddenly, his body seemed to move by itself and he was dashing through the forest before reaching a large lake. His body bent down to get a drink and as he looked down, he saw his reflection. _What is this?_ He had the appearance of a hanyou but somehow, it still resembled him. His face was quite similar but this time, he looked younger. _Is this some sort of trickery?_ he asked himself. His body soon started to move again and he leaped through the trees. It wasn't long before he ended up outside a human village. Unfamiliar emotions and memories entered his mind as he started to make his way through the village. The villagers looked at him with disgust and they chattered amongst themselves, mentioning what an abomination he was. Naturally, he got pissed off but he continued to make way through the crowds until he reached a small hut. Entering through the doorway, he saw a middle-aged woman lying on the ground, with a sickly looking face. Beside her, another young man with long black hair knelt, grasping her hand in his. More memories and emotions flooded his brain and he learned that this woman was the body's mother and the young man, his brother.

"Where have you been?" the black-haired man hissed.

"I was busy." Sesshoumaru's mouth moved on its own.

"Too busy to visit your dying mother, Kazumaru?!" the man shouted, "I knew you demons had no heart!" Sesshoumaru was taken aback. He had never met these people before but this man bore a striking resemblance to Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru didn't understand what was going on. _Kazumaru?_ Sesshoumaru couldn't quite grasp what was going on. All he knew was that he was stuck in the body of a hanyou named, Kazumaru and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Mamoru. I love Mother too but you must understand that I really was busy!" Sesshoumaru replied, fiercely. _So this human man's name is Mamoru?_

"Out! Get out! Get out before I kill you! You disgusting beast!" Mamoru yelled as he pushed Sesshoumaru aside. Growling, Sesshoumaru left the hut but as the second he took a step outside, he bumped into a human girl rushing past.

"Oh my goodness! I apologize for that!" said a girl wearing a beautiful kimono. Her silky black hair was tied into a bun and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Yet, she was strikingly familiar to Sesshoumaru. _The wench...Ka...Kagome._

* * *

Kagome, out of Kotomi-hime's excitement, had left her home in a rush but during her mad dash to meet Makoto-ouji, she had bumped into a strange man. She originally thought he was a human until she saw two furry pointed ears on his head. Yet something about him was familiar. As she peered at his face, she realized how much he looked like someone she knew. _Sesshoumaru?_

* * *

 ***** Author's Note *****

 **Thank you for supporting me and reading this fan fiction. It really makes me happy to see more and more of you following this story and enjoying it. I'll just give you guys some information about how I will schedule new chapter releases.**

 **Until the 13th of January, I will attempt to write a chapter every day (this means by 11:59pm AEST time) Yes, I'm telling the truth and yes I'm probably crazy. Right now I have so much spare time to write. And about the size of each chapter, some people have messaged me saying that they are too short. Each chapter is currently 1000 words, but now I aim to make each chapter 2000 words.**

 **I don't usually put this much commitment into fan fiction so I really hope you guys continue to support me and even share with some friends. I'm an amateur writer so I'm aware my writing skills aren't exactly great so I'm all for some feedback!**

 **Please remember that I will not update my chapters this often if I think it isn't worth it. So I hope you readers like the current story and give me all the more reason to give you more!**

 **ありがとうございました！**

 **Thank you for all you have done!**

 **水島風子**

 **Mizushima Kazeko**


	6. Curiousity

**Chapter 6 - Back to the Present**

"Sesshoumaru!"

Kagome woke up with a jolt and her eyes flew open. Taking in her surroundings, she realized she was back in the bathroom. Her legs hung over the edge of the bathtub and her head ached. _I must have bumped my head._ A few seconds ago she had a dream that she was in the body of a princess named Kotomi on the way to an omiai with Makoto-ouji. She had bumped into a white-haired man with pointed ears upon his head during her mad dash. Although that man must have been a hanyou, his face resembled that of Sesshoumaru. Scrambling out of the bathtub, Kagome noticed Sesshoumaru was sprawled across the floor, unconscious. _What just happened?_ Sesshoumaru began to stir.

"Ah. Sesshoumaru? Are you okay?" Kagome leaned over and peered at Sesshoumaru's face with concern. He opened his eyes slowly. Squinting against the brightness of the ceiling light. Kagome's face began to come into focus.

"K...Ka...Kagome." he uttered.

"Huh?!" Kagome's face turned bright red. "Y-y-y-you..." _That's the first time he's ever called me by my name!_ Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down. Sesshoumaru began to stand up, his face showing that he was clearly irritated by something. He took one a glance at his surroundings then looked back at Kagome.

"So we are back here," he said. Kagome nodded.

"Sesshoumaru? Um...when we were dreaming, were you in the body of the hanyou with the white hair?" Kagome asked. She thought that if she was in the body of a girl who resembled her, it would be similar to Sesshoumaru's situation.

"Yes. And you were the woman who had been running?"

"Yeah...sorry about that. I bumped into you _again_. But it wasn't my fault! I couldn't control her body. It was like I was stuck!" she tried to explain, hoping Sesshoumaru would understand.

"It was the same for me. How disgusting that I would be inside the body of a hanyou." he spat. Kagome scratched the back of her head awkwardly but then a thought entered her mind. _Wait...how long were we dreaming?_ There was no clock in the bathroom so she rushed outside to find once. Once she got to her bedroom, she grabbed her alarm clock. _Not even a minute passed?_ She sighed and placed the alarm clock back on her nightstand, sliding down onto the floor. She shut her eyes and tried to make sense of what had just happened. _We shared the exact same dream_. Unable to grasp any sort of answer, she opened her eyes and saw Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway, sniffing the room. _He followed me._ Laughing nervously, Kagome pulled herself up.

"Oh, of course. You want to go back to your time, right?" she walked past Sesshoumaru and began to make her way downstairs, beckoning for him to follow. He didn't move. "Sesshoumaru?"

"What is this world?" he asked. Kagome sighed again.

"It's complicated. Just follow me back to the well and you can get back home," she replied, too exhausted to explain anything. She took another step downstairs.

"Your name," he said. Kagome stopped and looked back up at Sesshoumaru. "It is Kagome, is it not?"

"Yes."

"Kagome. I wish to know more about this world." Sesshoumaru's golden eyes seemed to pierce through Kagome.

"You what?" she exclaimed. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her.

"Do you find that disagreeable?" he queried. Kagome quickly shook her head. _What does he mean by wanting to know more about my time?!_ "Your expression shows me otherwise."

"Ah, no! Don't mind me, I'm just thinking! It's just...does that mean you want to stay in this world for the time being?" she questioned.

"Of course," he answered. Kagome's eyes widened. _He wants to stay?! What if he ends up hurting someone?! Or even worse..._ "Does that surprise you?"

"Well, it's just that...I can't let you stay. I can't let you stay in this time unless you give me your word that you will not hurt anyone or anything, Sesshoumaru. You must abide by our rules. You have to promise me that." Kagome pleaded, looking him straight in the eye. She knew it was probably useless to ask that of him. Even if he didn't give her his word, there was nothing she could do to stop him from staying. The best she could do was try.

"Hmph. How infuriating. A human girl thinking she can control a pure-blood yokai. If I don't give you my word, then what would you do to prevent me from staying?" he snapped.

"Whatever it takes," she replied, with defiance in her eyes. Sesshoumaru couldn't quite understand why Kagome didn't seem to be frightened. He couldn't understand why she didn't run away. Her conviction was admirable.

"Interesting. Then I will give you my word that I will obey the laws of this land and not harm any living being." Sesshoumaru promised. Once again, his actions had shocked Kagome. _This really is one weird day._ Smiling, she thanked Sesshoumaru. _Maybe during his stay, we'll figure out what the dreams mean._

* * *

"Shippou. Have you seen Inuyasha and Miroku around?" Sango asked. It was morning and she had just woken up to discover she was the only one left in the house. It was a relief to find Shippou was still there.

"Oh, Inuyasha probably went to get Kagome. And I haven't seen Miroku all morning! Although there was some commotion with the girls over there." Shippou pointed to a crowd of young girls talking amongst themselves by a tree. Many were giggling and they all seemed to be focused on someone behind the tree. Sango sighed and thanked Shippou before marching over to the crowd, angrily. Shippou heard a loud slap. _Miroku deserved it,_ Shippou thought to himself as he looked away. In the corner of his eye, he got a glance of Inuyasha sniffing the ground on all fours at the other side of the village. _What is that jerk doing?_ Curious, Shippou bounded towards Inuyasha just in time to hear Inuyasha grumbling to himself.

"I swear that's Sesshoumaru's scent..." he grumbled.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Shippou asked, suspiciously. The dog demon seemed rather unsettled.

"Go away Shippou, I'm busy." Inuyasha retorted. He continued to sniff the ground. Then all of a sudden, his ears pricked up and his eyes widened. "I got it!" Inuyasha seemed to have caught a strong scent and started following it towards the forest.

"Wait up, Inuyasha! Where are you going?!" Shippou struggled after him. Using his own nose as well to track down Inuyasha. That's when he noticed another familiar scent mixed up amongst Inuyasha's. _That's Sesshoumaru's scent!_ Shippou looked up and noticed that the scent went all the way into the forest, in the direction of the well. _Is he after Kagome?!_ Shippou followed the scent, finally catching up Inuyasha who was perched up on the edge of the well. "Inuyasha, did you smell Sesshoumaru!? Did he go inside the well?!" Shippou demanded answers.

"His scent goes into the well and disappears. He must have gone after Kagome!" Inuyasha exclaimed angrily before jumping into the well without hesitation.

"Inuyasha, wait!" Shippou tried to jump into the well but all he did was hit the ground. Inuyasha had disappeared.

* * *

"Morning Souta. I'm sorry Sesshoumaru had to sleep in your room late last night." Kagome apologized as Souta came down the stairs. Kagome was preparing her school lunch as her mother finished making breakfast. Souta shook his head.

"It's okay, sis. But that guy isn't really talkative. Is he really Inuyasha's older brother?" Souta asked. Kagome laughed nervously.

"Half-brother," she answered. Her grandfather entered the kitchen as she replied.

"Now what are you two talking about?" he questioned. Kagome laughed nervously once again and sighed, finally wrapping up her lunch. She wasn't sure her grandfather was going to take it well. Hopefully, Sesshoumaru would be able to make a good impression. All of sudden, she heard her grandfather shout in terror.

"Grandpa?!"Kagome spun around to see her grandfather sprawled on the ground pointing at Sesshoumaru who stood at the bottom of the stairs with a surprisingly fierce expression.

"Not a morning person huh, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome's mother chirped before setting food on the table. Kagome hung her head in defeat and offered to help her grandfather up.

"Who is _this_ guy?!" her grandfather yelled.

"That's Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's half brother. He came last night." Kagome explained.

"Now look, Kagome. You can't keep bringing strange demons into our house!" her grandfather exclaimed. Kagome rolled her eyes and glanced at Sesshoumaru who still stood at the bottom of the staircase. His eyes were drawn to the food on the table.

"Sesshoumaru, um, we have a seat here for you," Kagome said nervously as she pulled out a chair for Sesshoumaru and beckoned for him to come. The dog demon narrowed his eyes in disgust and turned to face Kagome.

"I do not eat human food." he spat. _Well, I guess I've never seen him eat._ Kagome thought. _Wait...what does he eat anyways?_ A disturbing thought crossed Kagome's mind. _Does he eat meat? What kind of meat? Does he eat humans?! Or maybe he eats other yokai!?_

"Oh come on, dear. It can't hurt to try."Kagome's mother sang cheerfully, seemingly without a care in the world. Kagome sighed. Sesshoumaru stood silently for a few moments before making a decision to sit down at the table. The table was quiet. Souta sat down in the chair next to Sesshoumaru and Kagome sat across from them, next to her grandfather. Their mother was already waiting patiently at the table.

"Itadakimasu!" everyone said before digging into breakfast. It was only Sesshoumaru who didn't touch his food. He watched the family hungrily devour every crumb on their plate. Kagome's grandfather eyed Sesshoumaru suspiciously and Souta offered to give Sesshoumaru some of his food but was rejected with a cold stare. Kagome ate gloomily as she watched everything. It was only her mother who ate breakfast optimistically as if this day was like any other. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru did something completely unexpected. He raised his right hand to grab the pair of chopsticks at his plate. Everyone became as still as statues as they watched him pick the chopsticks up and attempt to pick up some meat. They held their breath as the ends of the chopsticks were held against each side of the small portion of meat. _Is he really going to try it?_ The chopsticks continued to press against the sides of the meat before Sesshoumaru stopped and slowly raised them to pick up the piece. The whole family watched intensely as his pair of chopsticks lifted the small piece of meat a few millimeters in the air. That's when it fell onto the table. This was followed by complete silence. _He's never used chopsticks,_ everyone thought in unison. All of a sudden, someone burst out laughing. Everyone looked in the direction it was coming from. It was Kagome. Sesshoumaru looked down at the ground, feeling an emotion he wasn't used to feeling before. Embarrassment.

"I'm sorry Sesshoumaru." Kagome said in between laughs, "it's just that you're such an intimidating person but you reminded me so much of a little kid because you didn't even know how to use chopsticks." That's when her mother joined in the laughter. Souta smiled and looked up at Sesshoumaru kindly.

"Don't worry, Sesshoumaru. When I was little, I didn't know how to use chopsticks either. I kept on dropping my food." Souta admitted before giggling. However, the happy moment was short-lived.

"Kagome, are you alri-" Inuyasha shouted as he burst into the kitchen, just before his eyes snapped onto Sesshoumaru. "S-Sesshoumaru?!"


	7. Complication

**Chapter 7 - Love Complication**

"Sesshoumaru?! What are you doing here?!"

Inuyasha had rudely interrupted Kagome's family during breakfast. He had been concerned for her safety all this time but finding Sesshoumaru joining them at the breakfast table really ticked him off. He was so sure Sesshoumaru had planned to hurt Kagome but he guessed that wasn't Sesshoumaru's intention, seeing him sit there quietly at the table.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome pushed away from the table and stood up. She couldn't find the words to explain what was going on. Scary thoughts began to pass through her mind. _What if he gets the wrong idea? Will he hate me? What if he fights Sesshoumaru here?_

"Kagome! What is this jerk doing here?" Inuyasha demanded. Sesshoumaru eyed Inuyasha with irritation. _So Inuyasha has been to this world before._ Sesshoumaru couldn't quite pinpoint why this thought bothered him. He seemed to quite like the idea of being the first one to go to Kagome's time. However, Inuyasha had been the first. Sesshoumaru watched the pair argue with each other. _It seems this girl is sticking up for me._ Usually, Sesshoumaru's pride would have gotten hurt by being helped by a mortal girl. This time, he enjoyed it. At this point, he realized how awkward the situation had become. Kagome and Inuyasha had been fighting right in front of her family. Sesshoumaru wasn't normally the type to notice these sorts of things. He scanned the faces of her family members and recognized expressions of discomfort. _Inuyasha is always causing problems._ Sesshoumaru stood up graciously, seizing the attention of everyone in the room, even that of Kagome and Inuyasha.

"What's up, Sesshoumaru? Are we too noisy for your liking?" Inuyasha jibed, with a small smirk on his face.

"I will be leaving," he announced. Kagome felt her stomach twist into a knot. _Leaving? Leaving where? He can't leave!_ Kagome worried that Sesshoumaru was going to venture out into the city. She imagined all the commotion it would cause. _How would he react to cars? He might destroy them!_

"No! You can't leave, Sesshoumaru!" she exclaimed. Sesshoumaru was already outside and she rushed as fast as she could to catch him. Inuyasha followed closely behind. Those words left a sour taste in his mouth. Sesshoumaru paused but didn't turn around. The way she pleaded with him not to leave pleased him. He couldn't understand why. "Please, Sesshoumaru." she pleaded, "You have to stay!."

"Why do you want him to stay?! Let that jerk leave, Kagome." Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms. Kagome furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance and did what she did best.

"Osuwari!" she commanded. Inuyasha fell onto the ground, making a large dent in his shape. "Please, Sesshoumaru. Please stay." she pleaded once more out of desperation. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smirk. _This girl is quite interesting._ Curious to what actions Kagome would take, Sesshoumaru continued to walk away from the house. All of sudden, he felt a tug on his right sleeve. His eyes widened. He turned his head slightly to find a small, pale hand grasping tightly onto his sleeve. This appeared to spark an unfamiliar emotion in his chest. He had felt it before in his dreams and when Kagome injured her foot. He wasn't sure what it was but it made him feel protective of her and want her to be close. He turned his whole body towards her and looked at her face. Kagome looked up at him and noticed how his expression had changed. However, it wasn't scary. There was a soft look in his eyes. She let go of his sleeve and took a step back, looking down at her feet. _Maybe that was a stupid decision._ she thought. She looked up to see his right hand moving slowly towards her. Kagome wasn't sure what to do. She just watched it as it moved closer to her face. Then she felt him run his hand through her soft raven hair. She flinched. _What is he doing?_ Inuyasha was watching the interaction they entire time and made an expression of utter bewilderment. _What on earth?!_ he thought to himself. Sesshoumaru paused brought his hand back to his side.

"You really are a strange girl," he stated. He made this statement, concluding that Kagome must simply be the type of person who made others feel this way about her. He knew Inuyasha cared for this girl and he had a sneaking suspicion the wolf demon, Kouga, also had cared for her. He thought that maybe it was a sort of spell. It wouldn't be completely unbelievable since she was not from the same world as Sesshoumaru. Either way, his feelings about her did not change. He cared for her. Most of him despised the fact that he could care for a human girl, however, there was a small bit of him who accepted it with open arms. _I wonder if killing her would put a stop to this emotion,_ he thought. But at the same time, he knew that it was the very same emotion which stopped him from killing her.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome blushed slightly. She was confused about Sesshoumaru's actions and her heart beat fast. Sesshoumaru looked at her with a tender expression before doing the unexpected. He smiled. Inuyasha choked. _He's smiling?!,_ Kagome thought. Never in her life did she think that Sesshoumaru would make such a loving expression.

"I'll stay, but why do you not want me to leave?" Sesshoumaru asked softly, "I thought you would've wanted me to go back to my own world." Kagome froze.

"Wait, so you mean you weren't going to go out into the city?!" Kagome's face grew redder by the second and she covered her face in embarrassment. _Oh God. Then asking him to stay like that must have seemed..._ Kagome shook her head sighed. But some reason, there was happiness in the pit of her heart. She was happy that Sesshoumaru chose to stay. Then she realized she was forgetting something. _Inuyasha!_ Kagome turned around to find him but he was no longer there. "Inuyasha?" she called out.

"He left," Sesshoumaru said. Kagome spun around to face Sesshoumaru again.

"He what?! I have to find him!" Kagome exclaimed. Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched. Kagome began to run in the direction of the well but Sesshoumaru grabbed her arm. "Let me go!"

"Why must you find him?" he spat, turning her to face him. Kagome shuddered from the scary look on his face. He was clearly pissed off. _But why?_

"I need to explain everything to him! He might have gotten the wrong idea." she tried to explain, shaking Sesshoumaru's hand off and running inside the building containing the well. Sesshoumaru didn't bother grabbing her again. Anger bubbled up inside him but he tried to maintain a calm and collected appearance, walking back towards the house.

"Sesshoumaru, where has Kagome gone? She's going to be late for school!" Kagome's mother exclaimed when she saw Sesshoumaru enter the house. He paused.

"She has gone to the well." he responded.

"Oh dear. I hope she comes back soon."

* * *

Inuyasha!" Kagome called out. She knew she had to explain the situation to Inuyasha. It felt wrong to hide it from him. Hiding it would make her a hypocrite for complaining about Inuyasha's secret meetings with Kikyou. She climbed out of the well, ready to run towards the village to find Inuyasha. However, Inuyasha hadn't gone far. He was sitting cross-legged against the outside of the well and sulking. "Oh, Inuyasha. Why did you leave like that?" Kagome dropped down next to Inuyasha and hugged her knees, peering at his face.

"Oh hi, Kagome. I thought you really wanted to be with _Sesshoumaru._ " he snapped.

"Inuyasha, it's not like that! You didn't even let me explain!" Kagome blurted out. At least she _thought_ it wasn't anything like that.

"Then go on and explain, Kagome! Explain why you were making googly eyes at him and blushing." Inuyasha complained.

"It's not like that, Inuyasha! I was just surprised, that's all! He's never done that before."

"I _know_ he's never done that before. He _hates_ humans. I don't know what you did, Kagome, but you should stop it."

"What do you mean?!"

"You can't change him!"

"Inuyasha, I have no idea what you're talking about." Kagome was utterly confused. Inuyasha looked away. The truth was that he was afraid. Back there, Sesshoumaru had displayed such a caring expression. Inuyasha was afraid that maybe Kagome was trying to change Sesshoumaru. He was afraid that maybe Kagome might actually care for him. He knew that being a full blood yokai, Sesshoumaru was stronger and much more reliable. _What if Kagome ends up liking him? What if she hates me? What if she'll leave me behind?_ Then he heard Kagome giggle. He turned to face her again.

"Why are you laughing?" he grumbled.

"You're jealous, aren't you Inuyasha? Your expressions show it all," she said in between giggles.

"Huh?!" Inuyasha began to blush.

"Honestly, though, it makes me happy. Don't worry, Inuyasha. I won't leave you." she giggled. Inuyasha sighed and his face continued to grow red. However, Kagome felt uncertain. Although she said this with confidence, her heart was still unsure. She worried that maybe it was a promise she couldn't keep because ever since having those dreams, a new feeling grew. A feeling centered around Sesshoumaru. _I wonder what the future will hold,_ she thought to herself. She must have shown a concerning expression because Inuyasha had been looking at her surprisingly worriedly. She simpered. After a while, she explained to Inuyasha how Sesshoumaru had been curious about her time. Inuyasha seemed really displeased with the fact that Sesshoumaru was staying at her house. "I think it will be good for Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha. Don't you think?"

"I guess it would be nice to see him vulnerable for once. Especially in that strange world of yours with those scary moving contraptions you ride in." Inuyasha pointed out, "but uh..." Inuyasha scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"What?" Kagome queried.

"Can I...stay there as well?" he asked, "You know! Just in case Sesshoumaru does something!" he quickly explained. Kagome pondered it for a moment and thought that maybe it could possibly be a good bonding experience for the two brothers. _Maybe they could finally make up with each other!_

"Yeah! That's a great idea!" she replied enthusiastically. Then her smile suddenly dropped.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Inuyasha curiously asked.

"I'm late for school!" she hurriedly crawled back into the well, leaving Inuyasha wide-eyed and surprised.

"The least you could do was wait for me, you know," he complained before jumping in after her.

* * *

Kagome grabbed her bag and stuffed her lunch inside. Sesshoumaru stood silently in the kitchen while Inuyasha stood a few meters away from him with a sour expression on his face. Kagome's grandfather stared at the two of them with disgust.

"Okay, guys. I'm leaving. Grandpa, you can give them things to do for the day, right?" Kagome asked nicely, pressing her hands together.

"Yes, yes, there are quite a few chores to be done..." he grumbled, glaring at them.

"That's great, Grandpa! Now, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, no fighting. And _try_ not to destroy anything." she pleaded. "See you guys after school!" Kagome ran out the front door and left the house. The house was completely silent.

"Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru uttered, facing away.

"What?" Inuyasha snapped.

"Why are you here?"

"Because I asked nicely and she let me," Inuyasha responded. The atmosphere was tense. Kagome's grandfather sighed and turned away from the pair.

"Oh boy, this is going to be a _long_ day." he mumbled to himself.


	8. A Day in Kagome's Time

**Chapter 8 - A Day in Kagome's Time**

 ***** Author's Note *****

 **First of all, I'd like to thank a specific guest for leaving their review. I almost thought you read my chapter 8 notes! Woah! Anyway, the main point is, I'd like more people posting reviews to tell me their opinions on the story so far and don't be afraid to give me feedback. Usually, as soon as I finish a chapter, I start writing down notes and ideas for my next chapter to read for the next day. If you guys start bringing in your reviews, I might consider using your ideas for the next chapter if I haven't already got them down. Thanks for your support!**

 ***** End of Note *****

* * *

" Finally!" Kagome sighed as she grabbed her bento out of her bag, "I'm starving." She and her friends had joined their desks together and were getting ready to eat.

"What do you have for lunch today, Kagome?" one of Kagome's best friends, Eri, asked. Kagome unwrapped her bento hurriedly.

"I have..." she began to announce as she lifted the lid, "Rice as always, pork, tamagoyaki, and some vegetables!" She displayed her lunch proudly.

"Wow! I want you to make a bento for me one day, Kagome!" Ayumi exclaimed. Kagome giggled. She remembered the time when she made lunch for the group back in the feudal era. _That's right. Inuyasha! I wonder how he and Sesshoumaru are going._ Kagome's good mood was soon ruined and she emanated a dark aura, felt by her three best friends. But for some reason, Kagome felt really tired.

"Sh-should we be concerned?" Yuka asked, nervously.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's rage bubbled up inside of him. He gave a menacing glare and narrowed his eyes, raising his right hand slowly. Then he quickly scrubbed the dirty mark on the plate in the sink. He had spent almost five minutes trying to clean it. It really pissed him off.

"Having trouble, Sesshoumaru?" he turned suddenly to face Kagome's mother. She was smiling, as usual. "I'm sorry. It must be difficult with one hand." Sesshoumaru focused his attention back on the plate and tried to scrub it again.

"I can handle it." he snapped. Kagome's mother shook her head and giggled to herself. She walked towards Sesshoumaru and stood next to him. He glanced at her and stopped scrubbing. She smiled again and took the plate and sponge in her hands.

"Now, look here. You've run out of soap." she leaned over to grab the dishwashing soap and squeezed a little onto the sponge. She began to scrub the plate gently. Sesshoumaru eyed the dirty mark still on the plate. After a few seconds, it had disappeared and Kagome's mother rinsed the plate in warm water. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in surprised. She looked up at him. "Look at that. It's just like new!" she declared. Sesshoumaru scoffed. "There's something bothering you, isn't there Sesshoumaru? I've noticed for quite a while now," she said softly. Sesshoumaru stared at her sternly."I heard from Kagome that you and your brother are on bad terms, is that right?"

"I refuse to accept that that hanyou shares the same blood." he fumed. Kagome's mother sighed and looked at Sesshoumaru with concern.

"Kagome believed that having you two here could bring you closer. She hoped that you could leave the past behind." she went on.

"Is that really what that girl thinks?" Sesshoumaru queried. The thought that Kagome hoped for him and Inuyasha to make up, never crossed his mind. Kagome's mother nodded. "The affairs between that hanyou and I aren't so simple. Forgetting what took place in the past wouldn't solve anything."

"Is that so? I suppose a good chat wouldn't benefit either of you?"

"Merely talking will not release the grudge I hold on Inuyasha. Youkai are different to humans. We are not weak minded like you are. I will not stand for a half-human brother like Inuyasha, it is despicable." Sesshoumaru spat. It was the first time he ever really talked to someone about the affairs between him and Inuyasha. Looking at Kagome's mother, he realized how similar she was to Kagome. "I find it detestable to be sharing the same roof as that hanyou. If learning to understand this world means living with Inuyasha then I will leave." Kagome's mother smile faded as Sesshoumaru spoke.

"If you do choose to leave, Sesshoumaru, you'll discuss it with Kagome first, right? She's putting in a lot of effort for your sake. She actually planned to take you out to the city after school today. If it isn't too much trouble, you'll wait until afterward, won't you?" she insisted, staring Sesshoumaru straight in the eyes. _She and Kagome and very alike,_ he thought. _T_ _hat girl, Kagome, is doing this for me._ No matter how much that thought had made him happy, he felt like he was being stripped of his pride. Sesshoumaru's hard expression softened after thinking for a few seconds.

"I will wait." he declared. Kagome's mother resumed her cheery smile and thanked him.

* * *

"Okay, all done Gramps!" Inuyasha announced, proudly. He had just finished moving and arranging things in storage. The last time he helped out, he knocked over some shelves and really got Kagome's grandfather mad. This time, he made sure he was extra careful when carrying things.

"You're not done yet, there's more over there. You also need to help me fix this shelf right here." Kagome's grandfather nagged. Inuyasha groaned. He never felt this exhausted before when fighting youkai.

"Now this is the absolute worst! Everything's so ancient in here and dust keeps going up my nose. Even so, I can _still_ smell that disgusting stench of Sesshoumaru all around." Inuyasha complained as he followed Kagome's grandfather to fix the shelf.

"If you're so unhappy, why don't you back to your own time? I'm perfectly fine with that other strange youkai brother of yours. He's much quieter too." he marveled. Inuyasha groaned once again. He couldn't stand being so close to Sesshoumaru for such a long period of time. He couldn't help but feel irritated. He waited impatiently for Kagome to get home as he did different chores around the Higurashi shrine for Kagome's mother and grandfather. Inuyasha's ears twitched with annoyance as he remembered the moment when he asked Kagome whether he could stay here. He regretted asking that of her. Plus, Naraku was still out there and they haven't come close to finding and defeating him. He hoped to get back to the feudal era soon.

* * *

"Kagome? Kagome!?" Kagome sprang up from her desk, looking around wildly. It was Yuka who was calling her name.

"Oh, Yuka!" she exclaimed as she sat back down in her seat. It was still lunchtime. _I fell asleep!_ Her friends looked at her worriedly.

"Are you okay, Kagome? You were about to eat but all of a sudden you hit your head on the table." Ayumi asked. Kagome laughed nervously.

"For how long, exactly?" Since it was still lunchtime, Kagome assumed that she hadn't been out for long.

"About 10 seconds, but it still worried us," Eri complained. Kagome scratched the back of her head nervously and tried to explain that she didn't have enough sleep last night which was actually quite plausible. However, Kagome didn't just fall asleep. She had another one of those strange dreams where she was in the body of a girl called Kotomi-hime. Kagome tried to remember the events of that dream...

* * *

It was noon and Kotomi-hime was having lunch. She had invited Hanae to join her.

"Oh, Hanae. I met the strangest man today." Kotomi-hime started. Hanae peered at her face with confusion. Kotomi-hime had been acting strangely after her omiai with Makoto-ouji.

"What do you mean by strange? When did you meet him?" Hanae questioned. She hoped it wasn't someone who caused Kotomi-hime trouble. Kotomi-hime wasn't supposed to run out like that in the first place. Even her guards and servants couldn't catch up.

"I bumped into him while I was running to meet Makoto-ouji. He had _beautiful_ long white hair and an unusually handsome face. His eyes glittered like gold, Hanae. I thought he was an angel." Kotomi-hime marveled. Her eyes sparkled with wonder and her cheeks blushed slightly as she talked about this man, however, Hanae didn't feel the same. In fact, she was quite concerned.

"Did he have dog-like ears on the top of his head?" Hanae queried, suspiciously.

"Yes! How did you know? Have you met him before?"Kotomi-hime was suddenly filled with excitement. She really hoped to meet the man once again.

"Kazumaru. He is quite the opposite of an angel, Kotomi-hime. He is a hanyou! I'm so relieved he didn't do anything to you. Next time, wait for your guards! That hanyou is dangerous, I tell you." warned Hanae. Kotomi-hime's heart sank. _A hanyou?_ She didn't believe that Kazumaru was dangerous, however. Back when she bumped into him and fell to the ground, Kazumaru had been nice enough to help her up. _Is he really dangerous?_ She remembered the moment when he leaned down and offered his hand for her to take, pulling her up gently. He didn't have evil intention in his eyes at all. Actually, he looked quite lonely.

"I don't believe Kazumaru is dangerous, Hanae. He may be a hanyou but he was kind to me!" Kotomi-hime exclaimed.

"Kotomi-hime, I've known you ever since we were toddlers and we've trusted each other to the ends of the earth. So please believe me when I tell you not to mess around with that youkai ever again. I won't let you go filling your mind with strange fantasies. Plus, didn't you go out to meet Makoto-ouji in the first place? Haven't you loved him ever since you were children?" Hanae seemed clearly distressed and it hurt Kotomi-hime to see her best friend like this.

"I love him. I do. But you said that we've trusted each other to the ends of the earth, so why don't you trust me now?" Kotomi-hime asked. Hanae looked away.

And that was when Kagome had woken up.

* * *

Kagome relived the events of her dream over and over again as she ate her lunch with her best friends. It seemed almost too real to be a dream. It was as if she witnessing the events of someone else's life. She could feel what Kotomi was feeling, see what she was seeing, hear what she was hearing and understand what she was thinking. Kagome could almost lose herself in her dreams as she experienced everything as Kotomi. _What does it mean? What on earth does it mean?_ she kept on thinking to herself. She wondered if Sesshoumaru had also fallen unconscious at the same time and dreamed. Only instead of being in Kotomi-hime's body, he would experience everything in Kazumaru's. She needed to find out the meaning behind these dreams and figure out why she and Sesshoumaru are having. And perhaps also find out whether she and Sesshoumaru are the only ones having the dreams. _Maybe someone else shares these dreams as well. How would I be able to find them? Would they know what the dreams mean?_ Kagome sighed. She hadn't spoken a word the entire time and her friends eyed her, worriedly.

"Kagome, if you're still sick, we can bring you to the nurse." Yuka offered. Kagome looked up and smiled.

"I'm alright, trust me."


	9. To the City

**Chapter 9 - To the City**

Kagome said her goodbyes to her friends and ran off home. She was totally unaware of Hojo who was just about to approach her to talk about their plans for the weekend.

"Poor Hojo." Yuka sighed as she watched Hojo stand there awkwardly.

"I'm home!" Kagome cried out as she burst in through the front door. Her mother greeted her with a smile, as always.

"Welcome home, Kagome. Are you going to get changed?" she asked. Kagome nodded before taking off her shoes and running up the stairs to her bedroom. "Wait, Kagome! Sesshoumaru-" her mother tried to call out after her. Kagome burst into her bedroom before freezing. Sesshoumaru lay soundly on her bed. _Sesshoumaru?!_ She tiptoed towards her bed and slowly kneeled down, watching Sesshoumaru's sleeping face. _He looks so vulnerable._ Without thinking, Kagome raised her hand to feel his silver hair. _It's so soft._ She smiled. She found Sesshoumaru cute, sleeping like this. Her hand made its way up to his face and she gently brushed his cheek. _I wonder if Rin does this when Sesshoumaru's sleeping. Sesshoumaru doesn't seem to mind her getting close to him._

"What are you doing?" Sesshoumaru's eyes flew open. Kagome pulled her hand back quickly and turned as red as a cherry. She hoped he wasn't awake the entire time.

"Y-y-you're awake, Sesshoumaru! I'm sorry! I-I-I was just-" A hand gently caressed her cheek. Kagome's face quickly became a deeper shade of red. Sesshoumaru seemed to be irritated by something as he brushed her cheek the same way she had done to him. At first, she thought that maybe he was irritated because she woke him up, but she felt as though it was for another reason.

"Sesshoumaru, is there something bothering you?" Kagome asked in a concerned tone. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. He slowly pulled his hand back and sat up. _She and her mother really are alike._

"Your mother said you would be taking me to a city, is that right?" Sesshoumaru queried. _He's avoiding the question,_ Kagome realized. She wondered if it would be best not to pry so she just smiled and nodded.

"Um, to be honest, Sesshoumaru, I think it would be best to wear something else. Your clothes might attract a lot of attention." she pointed out. _And his hair wouldn't exactly be helping._

"What do you suggest I wear?" he asked. Kagome was glad that he didn't reject the idea.

"My mother's got some old clothes somewhere that my dad wore. I'm sure they would fit you," she said. Sesshoumaru didn't say anything and followed Kagome out of the room to find those clothes. Sesshoumaru had actually been dreaming when Kagome woke him up. He only came to her room out of curiosity since he didn't have anything to do. Kagome's scent seemed to please him and he had decided to lay down in her bed. However, he had fallen unconscious and began to dream. Sesshoumaru thought about the events that occurred during that dream...

* * *

"Kazumaru-sama!" a young voice called out. Kazumaru was sitting on a branch of a tree overlooking the entire village. He looked below him to see where the voice was coming from. Looking up was a young boy who looked to be around thirteen years old. He wore a long brown cloak. The hood had fallen off his head. "I snuck through all the villagers, see? No one recognized me!" the boy simpered. Kazumaru smirked and jumped down to join the young boy.

"Where did you get the cloak, Mitsuo?" Kazumaru asked, inspecting the cloth. The boy named Mitsuo seemed really proud of it.

"I helped out with the tailor and she taught me how to make this. Isn't it cool, Sesshoumaru-sama? Now I can join you whenever I want without people asking questions." Mitsuo spun around, showing off his new attire. "I need to repay my debt to you, after all. This will make it easier." Kazumaru thought back to the time when he first met Mitsuo. Mitsuo had been the leader of some kid gang in the village. They had always acted tough and beat up other kids who got in their way. One day, another kid seeking revenge made a deal with a small youkai. It was Kazumaru who witnessed this and followed the small youkai to the group of kids. He had watched as the youkai attacked some of them. Kazumaru remembered how scared Mitsuo had been at that time. Mitsuo was lucky he was there to get rid of that youkai or else he probably would have suffered a broken bone. Kazumaru smirked again as he reminisced.

"I don't know why you think you need to repay your debt. That youkai was small fry, Mitsuo. Even you could have killed it," Kazumaru pointed out. Mitsuo pouted.

"You still saved me," he responded. Kazumaru smiled and patted Mitsuo on the head.

"I met a girl today, Mitsuo," Kazumaru started. Mitsuo's eyes widened with excitement.

"A girl?! What was she like? Was she pretty?" Mitsuo began interrogating Kazumaru.

"Yeah, she was pretty," he admitted, "she wore these expensive clothes too. She also seemed like she was in a rush somewhere. You should have seen her." Kazumaru laughed. "She bumped into me by accident and fell onto the ground."

"So did you help her up?!" Mitsuo asked, desperate to know more.

"Of course! And you should have seen that ornament that was in her hair. It was like a huge pearl." Mitsuo's smiled dropped. Kazumaru noticed this and narrowed his eyes at him. "What's wrong?"

"There's only one person around here who wears expensive clothes and has an ornament like _that_ ," Mitsuo said.

"You know who they are?" Kazumaru asked.

"That was Kotomi-hime." Mitsuo sighed. Kazumaru's expression became an array of confusion, shock, and humiliation.

"Wouldn't she have her guards with her?"

"She's known for running off on her own," Mitsuo replied. Kazumaru groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

That was when Sesshoumaru had woken up.

* * *

"My, what a wonderful fit!" Kagome's mother exclaimed. Sesshoumaru was wearing a white blouse which was tucked into brown trousers. He wore a blue tie along with it. "You look great without the blazer."

"Is that Dad's old high school uniform, Mom?" Kagome asked. Sesshoumaru inspected his clothes with curiosity. Kagome's mother nodded.

"Doesn't Sesshoumaru look like a young high schooler? Now Kagome, why don't you keep your middle school uniform on. You'll look like a great pair," her mother said. Kagome blushed and she looked down at the floor. She had to admit that Sesshoumaru didn't look half bad with a school uniform on. She never thought she would see him ever wearing one. It made her wonder what life would have been like if she had met Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and the others at school instead of in the feudal era. All of a sudden, they heard a loud crash downstairs and footsteps bounding up the stairs. Inuyasha quickly appeared in the doorway of Kagome's mother's room, panting.

"Finally, you're back Kago-" only then did he notice Sesshoumaru, his eyes practically bulging out of his eye sockets. "What on earth are you wearing?!" he blurted out. Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Sesshoumaru and I are heading out to the city, Inuyasha. I'm going to show him around. We'll be back after dinner, don't worry." Kagome explained as she smiled. Inuyasha pouted angrily.

"I'm coming!" he announced before another pair of footsteps stormed up the stairs. Inuyasha gulped.

"No, you're not. You still haven't finished your work, Inuyasha." Kagome's grandfather pointed out. He looked really irritated and slapped Inuyasha on the head with a slipper. "You're coming with me," he said before dragging Inuyasha downstairs. Kagome, her mother, and Sesshoumaru heard them argue amongst each other. Kagome's mother giggled softly and clasped her hands together.

"Now what are we going to do about that arm of yours?" she pondered. Kagome gasped. Sesshoumaru and her mother looked at her. _I know exactly what to do._

* * *

"Well, I think you two should start heading off now." Kagome's mother said. Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru, who wore a fake cast in order to cover up where his left arm should have been. It looked pretty believable. When they reached the front door, Kagome gave Sesshoumaru a pair of leather shoes to wear and helped him put them on.

"We're going!" Kagome shouted as she and Sesshoumaru left the house. Sesshoumaru posture was as stiff as a stick. It had become much more noticeable since he was wearing modern day clothes. Kagome wished he could just relax. As they walked down the steps of the Higurashi shrine, Kagome felt awkward and uncomfortable. Sesshoumaru barely made a sound. She had to keep looking back to make sure he was still following her. Then an idea popped into Kagome's mind. She turned to face Sesshoumaru and walked up beside him, smiling softly at him. Gently, she took his right hand in hers and held it as they walked down the steps. Kagome was beet red, but she found that holding his hand made her feel happy. It was the same for Sesshoumaru who smirked a little. When they reached the bottom, Kagome guided him towards the city where they continued to walk. She and Sesshoumaru started walking in the direction of the mall Kagome that her friends always used to shop at.

"By the way, Sesshoumaru, you never actually explained why you came through the well."Kagome pointed out. She hadn't thought about it until now. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure whether to tell her the truth, lie or not say anything at all. Yet he eventually came to the decision that it would be best to tell her the truth.

"I was planning to kill you," he admitted. Kagome's heart stopped. _Kill me?_ "Do not worry, however. I have since changed my mind." Sesshoumaru quickly explained. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why _did_ you want to kill me?" she asked, afraid that she wouldn't like the answer.

"I believed killing you would rid me of those dreams," he confessed. He glanced at her face to make sure she understood he didn't feel that way anymore. He wasn't reassured. Her face clearly showed discomfort. Sesshoumaru wasn't surprised since he doubted any human would quickly dismiss such a confession. He hoped he didn't scare Kagome too much, however. The pair pushed and shoved amongst waves of people. There were many moments when they were separated from each other. Luckily, Sesshoumaru had a good nose and could pick Kagome's scent out from the crowds of humans. He felt greatly irritated by the amounts of times he had to go back and find Kagome. When they joined hands again, Sesshoumaru held her tightly in order to make it more difficult to be pulled away from each other. It wasn't only the amount of times they were separated which annoyed him, however. The stench of humans seemed to overwhelm him and it was even worse when a sweaty old man brushed past, leaving his sweat on Sesshoumaru's clothes. If it weren't for Kagome there to calm him down, he probably would have attacked the poor old man. In attempts to make the situation seem better, he tried to think of worse situations. _Yes, at least Inuyasha isn't here. At least I can't smell his disgusting stench._ Sesshoumaru found comfort in that thought and continued to push on. He was relieved when they finally found the entry to the mall. Kagome laughed nervously as they went up the escalator.

"Finally got here, huh?" she sighed. Sesshoumaru didn't realize he had been frowning the entire time until after Kagome's comment made him smile.

"I didn't particularly like the way here," he intoned. Kagome shook her head.

"But you still learned something. Right?" she said with a laugh. Then a shrill squeal interrupted her. She and Sesshoumaru turned to see three girls wearing the same uniforms as Kagome. Kagome's smile dropped. "Yuka? Eri? Ayumi?" _Why now of all times?!_


	10. It's a Date

Chapter 10 - It's a Date

"Kagome!" Yuka squealed as she, Eri and Ayumi ran towards their best friend. They had originally invited Kagome out after school but she told them she had plans. It didn't take long at all for the three to jump to the conclusion that Kagome was out on a date. Firstly, she was holding hands with a young man in a high school uniform. Secondly, she was blushing and smiling as she talked to him. Thirdly, Kagome had seemed so secretive at school that day that a new boyfriend seemed like a plausible reason for it. "Kagome! Are you on a date? Why didn't you tell me?!" Yuka exclaimed. She was annoyed Kagome didn't say anything about the handsome she was holding hands with.

"A date?! Huh!?" Kagome looked down at her hands and quickly let go, turning even redder than before. "We're not on a date!" Yuka eyed her suspiciously.

"I've never seen you go on a date with Inuya-" Eri blurted out before realizing the man next to Kagome wasn't Inuyasha. She spun around to face Kagome and marched up to her. "Are you two-timing Inuyasha?" she whispered. Kagome shook her head violently.

"It's nothing like that! Now, could you please leave us alone?" Kagome pleaded. Ayumi inspected Sesshoumaru's long white hair, oblivious to the evil glare he was giving her.

"Is he related to Inuyasha?" she asked.

"He's his older half brother. Please just do me a favor and pretend we're not here." Kagome pleaded once again. She could clearly see Sesshoumaru was uncomfortable.

"Fine, but you have to spill everything at school tomorrow, deal?" Yuka snapped. Kagome sighed and agreed. She said her goodbyes and waved them off, turning back to face Sesshoumaru.

"I'm sorry about my friends, Sesshoumaru." she apologized. Sesshoumaru continued to watch the three girls as they walked away. He narrowed his eyes once they were out of sight and turned back to Kagome.

"What did those girls mean by "date"?" he asked, calmly. Kagome laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"Uh...well...um..." she began, "it's when two people who uh...like each other in um, a romantic way and uh...go out somewhere together..." It felt awkward explaining something like this to such a serious guy like Sesshoumaru. Kagome wasn't really sure he would be interested in something like that but she still tried her best at defining it.

"How do two people know if they like each other romantically?" he asked, slightly raising one eyebrow.

"Well, you get this warm, fuzzy feeling in here," Kagome started, motioning towards her chest, "and um, well whenever you see that person, you feel happy. It's like just being close to that person makes you feel like the happiest person in the world." Kagome pictured Inuyasha in her mind as she explained this. However, after she finished, as soon as she looked up at Sesshoumaru's face, she felt like maybe it wasn't only Inuyasha who made her feel that way. _It couldn't be._ Kagome quickly looked away but Sesshoumaru continued to look at her. Kagome slowly turned back. Her eyes met Sesshoumaru's sparkling, golden ones. _Why is he asking this?_ Sesshoumaru then leaned forward, slowly inching closer and closer to Kagome's face. _Is he...is he going to..._ Kagome shut her eyes and waited. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes and realized only a few centimeters separated the two.

"Does being this close," Sesshoumaru started to ask, "make you feel like the happiest person in the world?" Kagome stared back into his piercing eyes. She had no way of knowing what he was thinking. Kagome wasn't sure how to answer his question, but the more she pondered it, the more she realized how she truly felt. And it surprised her. She tried to deny the feeling and pretend it wasn't there but the longer she stared into Sesshoumaru's eyes, the weaker she felt and the more she succumbed to her heart's decisions. Then she finally accepted her answer.

"Yes," she whispered. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and he pulled away quickly, turning away from Kagome before he quickly walked deeper into the shopping mall. Kagome's heart sank and she worried that maybe that answer wasn't something Sesshoumaru wanted to her. Little did she know that Sesshoumaru's cheeks had been tinted a noticeably bright shade of red. She tried to chase after him but soon lost sight of his long, silky hair in a crowd of shoppers. "Sesshoumaru!?" she called out, "Sesshoumaru?" After a few minutes, she gave up trying to look for him. Her eyes looked down to the ground and she sighed despairingly as she found a bench to sit on. _I should have said no._ Then suddenly, a hand appeared in front of her face. _Sesshoumaru?_ Her eyes followed the arm to Sesshoumaru's face. _Is he...blushing?_ Sesshoumaru attempted to hide his rosy cheeks by looking away but it wasn't enough. An awkward silence came between them. Then Kagome began to giggle, which soon turned into laughter. Sesshoumaru glared at her, annoyed at her outburst but Kagome continued to laugh. Tears started to form in her eyes from all the laughter but she wiped them away. Finally, she came to stop.

"I'm sorry, " she began, "At first I thought you were mad at me but when I saw you blushing, I couldn't help but think how cute you are!" Kagome sighed. She took Sesshoumaru's hand and stood up. This time, she grasped his hand tightly. "Now, let's continue, shall we?" She smiled at him and the pair began to walk. Sesshoumaru peered at Kagome's face and couldn't help but smile as well.

* * *

Inuyasha sat in front of the television, sulking. His entire body ached from lifting and fixing things for Kagome's grandfather. He was absolutely exhausted. Souta sat beside him, doing his homework on the table. Inuyasha watched as Kagome's little brother scribbled down strange characters and symbols.

"Hey, that's what Kagome writes as well," he commented, peering at Souta's book. Souta continued to write.

"Yeah but my sister does much harder stuff than me," Souta replied. Inuyasha sniffed the book and looked closer at the symbols.

"What are these strange characters? Is this a spell?" Inuyasha queried.

"This is mathematics. Those are numbers, see? This the addition sign. This is the subtraction sign. This is multiplication sign and this is the division sign." Souta explained, pointing to the signs. Inuyasha scratched his head in confusion and furrowed his eyebrows, trying to work out what Souta meant. Unable to grasp the concept, Inuyasha laid back, put his hands behind his head and sighed.

"Why does Kagome hafta be out with Sesshoumaru for so long?" he complained.

"She said she'll be back after dinner," Souta said, still trying to focus on his homework.

"When's dinner anyways?" Inuyasha asked.

"Dinner's ready!" Kagome's mother announced loudly, unintentionally answering Inuyasha's question. Inuyasha jumped up excitedly.

"Finally!"

* * *

Let's sit here, Sesshoumaru." Kagome carried a tray of food to a two seater table in Wacdonalds. Sesshoumaru carried two bags of goodies he and Kagome had bought at different shops. Placing the tray on the table, Kagome sat down, beckoning for Sesshoumaru to sit down in the chair in front of her. He followed and put the shopping bags on the ground. "Mm, I'm starving!" Kagome said, unwrapping a burger a cheeseburger. She took a large bite out of it, relishing the taste. After finishing the first bite, she noticed Sesshoumaru had been watching her the entire time. "Er, do you want to try? I bought another just in case you wanted it." She grabbed an unwrapped cheeseburger and offered it to him. He eyed it for a few seconds before Kagome quickly pulled it back. "Sorry, I'll unwrap it for you. It must be difficult with one hand. I apologize on Inuyasha's behalf."

"You do not need to apologize. It was Inuyasha's doing." Sesshoumaru replied.

"Yeah, but that jerk never apologizes for anything," Kagome said before handing the unwrapped the cheeseburger back to Sesshoumaru. He took it in his hand and sniffed it, narrowing his eyes. Kagome watched intensely. After deciding it was okay to eat, Sesshoumaru took a bite similar to the size Kagome had taken. "Uh, wouldn't you prefer to take a smaller bite if you're just trying it for the first time?" Kagome nervously asked. Sesshoumaru chewed for a bit before finally swallowing. "So, do you like it?" she asked him. Kagome waited impatiently for an answer. Sesshoumaru's eyes met hers and his expression softened.

"I've never tasted anything like it," Sesshoumaru responded. His tone was unreadable and Kagome couldn't tell whether it was a good or bad thing. "I guess I don't particularly mind it," he said before taking another large bite out of the burger. Kagome smiled. She was glad Sesshoumaru could enjoy human food but she was still curious about what he usually ate in the feudal era. The thought bothered her.

"Sesshoumaru. You said earlier that you didn't eat human food. What _do_ you normally eat?" she queried. Sesshoumaru stopped chewing and he stared at her for a few moments, wondering whether to answer her question or not. He didn't think Kagome would like the answer and worried it might make her uncomfortable.

"My eating habits are nothing to be curious of." he replied.

"Oh."

"Do _you_ normally eat this sort of food?" he asked.

"Uh, no. I try not to eat too much fast food," she said with a laugh. Sesshoumaru wasn't entirely sure what she meant by 'fast food' but he didn't think it was anything important. As he finished his cheeseburger, a thought popped into his mind.

"Is this a date?" Kagome almost choked when she heard his question, she wasn't sure she heard him right.

"A what?!" She really hoped she heard him wrong. She didn't want to be put on the spot for the second time that day.

"Is this a date?" he asked again, holding her gaze. _He must be asking that because of the conversation we had before._ Kagome struggled to find an answer.

"Well...do you...do you..." Kagome stuttered, her cheeks starting to turn red, "do you like me? I mean...it's a date if we-"

"I like you," he answered. _He's so straightforward!_ Kagome could feel her cheeks becoming hot. "So that makes this a date, does it not?" Kagome tried to find words but ended up sitting, red-faced in silence. Sesshoumaru smiled. "You're cute too." Kagome looked up in surprise.

"What?"

"You told me I was cute when I blushed before. You're cute too," he admitted. Kagome's eyes widened. _What's with him? I feel liked my heart's going to leap out of my chest._ Sesshoumaru tilted his head sideways as he gazed at Kagome. _Does she act like this in front of Inuyasha as well?_ he thought to himself. _Have_ they _been on a date?_ Thinking about this annoyed him but he couldn't help feeling even more jealous of his younger brother. _For some reason, I find it difficult to imagine Inuyasha confessing his feelings for her._ _The two almost always seem to be arguing._ The thought put Sesshoumaru at ease. "Kagome? So what is the answer?" he questioned. _He said my name for the second time!_ thought Kagome. Hearing him say it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She couldn't help but smile.

"Uh, yeah." Kagome answered, "It's...it's a date."

* * *

We're home!" Kagome announced as she and Sesshoumaru entered through the front door. Her mother came out to greet them back.

"Welcome back," she said.

"What took you guys so long?" Inuyasha complained, scratching his head as he walked out of the living room. He yawned. Inuyasha watched as Kagome and Sesshoumaru took off their shoes but something seemed to bother him. There was a tiny hint of red on Kagome's cheeks. _Is she blushing?_


	11. Kazumaru

**Chapter 11 - Kazumaru**

 ***** AUTHOR'S NOTE *****

 **Hi fellow readers!**

 **I'm so sorry I haven't been active AT ALL for 8 months. I really needed to focus on my studies at school and never found the time to write or gain some creative inspiration for the rest of the chapters. I have vague ideas of how everything will go down in this story but the issue is me trying to fill in the gaps. I'm sure other writers feel the same? Thanks for sticking with me and giving me constructive feedback! I'll try my best to put out chapters more regularly but they won't be as often as I did them before. I'm currently on school holidays so I have this entire week to bring out some more chapters but then again I don't want to make this feel more like work rather than something fun.**

 **Thanks again everyone!**

 ***** END NOTE *****

"What took you so long?"

Inuyasha glared at Kagome and Sesshoumaru suspiciously as he noticed a tinge of red colouring Kagome's cheeks.

"Oh, there were a lot of long queues at the shops and at Wacdonalds..." Kagome trailed off and laughed nervously. Kagome's mother giggled.

"Well come on! You have more school tomorrow and you need the rest," her mother beamed.

* * *

Drying her hair with a soft white towel, Kagome sat on her small bed in confusion on how Sesshoumaru had been acting towards her. Everything he did was completely out of character; the smirking, the teasing and even the blushing was all new. No matter how nice it seemed, Kagome couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong going on. Under no circumstances would Sesshoumaru ever act like he had in the mall, in particular, how he had uttered those three small words: _I like you_. Kagome shook her head and held her head in her hands, her cheeks still hot from that moment. _There's something up. It's not like him at all. I can't be taken in by something so stupid._ All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. She looked up and quickly tossed the towel to the side before checking that her hair looked alright. _What are you doing, Kagome?! It probably isn't Sesshoumaru in the first place._ Sighing, she called out.

"Uh, come in!" The door slowly creaked open and Sesshoumaru stood in the doorway. _I guess it was him after all._ The youkai walked towards her with the same smirk she had seen him to do before. He was only a few centimetres away from Kagome before he stopped and leaned down to face her. "Uh..." Kagome was speechless.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for us to be alone like this again..." he whispered before moving in closer so their lips were only just touching. Kagome's face was red once more. "Kotomi," he uttered before pressing his lips against hers but Kagome had already shoved him away with wide eyes. Her heart was pounding. _He called me...Kotomi._ "What's wrong? Why did you push me away, Kotomi?" Sesshoumaru queried, his face more expressive than ever.

"What's wrong with _you_ Sesshoumaru?" Kagome replied, slowly reaching for pillow and using it as a shield.

"Sesshoumaru? Who's that? It's me, Kazumaru! Don't you recognise me?" The youkai laughed and sat on the end of Kagome's bed. "Oh come on, Kotomi. Don't be like that."

"I'm not Kotomi!" Kagome quickly shuffled away from him. _Kotomi...Kazumaru...from the dreams?_ Kazumaru, who appeared to possess Sesshoumaru's body, moved closer.

"Have you not fully awakened, Kotomi?"

"Leave me alone!" Kagome threw the pillow at Kazumaru but failed as he ducked and it hit her desk, knocking over a number of things. They heard a yell from another room. It was Inuyasha. The sound of a door opening was heard, followed by the thunder of footsteps. "It's not Kotomi! It's Kagome! Ka-go-mm-" The youkai broke her off with a passionate kiss as he pushed her down. Inuyasha stormed towards Kagome's room, only to catch the pair on her bed.

"You-" he started before Kagome kicked Kazumaru and rolled off the side of her bed.

"Don't touch me, you pervert!" Kagome ran to the doorway and hid behind Inuyasha. The half demon froze in confusion.

"What's going on?" snarled Inuyasha as he looked from Kagome to who he recognised as Sesshoumaru slowly rising from the sheets. The full blooded youkai turned to face Inuyasha before his mouth gaped open in both shock and anger.

"You! Why are _you_ here?!" he bellowed, marching towards Inuyasha and grabbing hold of him by the neck. Inuyasha struggled and choked, clawing at his elder brother's right hand. Kagome yelped in fear.

"Stop it! Let go of him, Kazumaru!" she yelled.

"No. Not after everything I've worked for," he snapped, tightening his hold. Kagome ran through the doorway of her room and took her bow and arrow out of her bag. _It's my only choice right now._ She positioned herself behind Sesshoumaru, stringing the arrow onto the bow and pulling the string back. _I just need to injure him somewhere._ Kagome quickly aimed for his shoulder, praying that she wouldn't miss, and let go of the string. Inuyasha continued to fight against Sesshoumaru's hold before seeing a bright flash of light then hearing a swift _TWANG,_ feeling the instant release of the grip on his neck. He fell to his knees and coughed. A loud thud echoed throughout the hallway as Sesshoumaru's body fell limp onto the floor.

"Inuyasha! Are you alright?" Kagome rushed towards Inuyasha in concern.

"Of course I'm alright. I think you missed, though. The stupid guy's still breathing."

"I wasn't aiming to kill him, you jerk!" Kagome sighed and glanced at the youkai lying on the floor before hearing a creak from the stairs. She spun around and found her family standing there in awe. "Oh...hi guys..."

* * *

Kagome finished bandaging Sesshoumaru's wound up. She knew youkais could heal quickly but her purifying powers that she used on the arrow would have drastically decreased that special ability. He lay peacefully on her bed, still unconscious from the shot. _I hope I was able to drive that guy Kazumaru out. But why would he possess Sesshoumaru?_ She gently combed her hands through Sesshoumaru's long beautiful hair and smiled.

"How is he? Not dead yet?" Inuyasha asked as he walked in with a tray of tea and snacks Kagome's mother had made. He sat beside Kagome on the floor and placed the tray down.

"Oh come on, Inuyasha. There's no reason to kill him. And he seems fine for now. I just don't get this thing about Kazumaru..."

"Oh yeah, the guy you told me who possessed Sesshoumaru? Who is that guy anyways?" Inuyasha asked, stuffing a bunch of biscuits into his mouth.

"I don't know. I saw him in my dreams. He looked a lot like your brother, except he had your doggy ears! I think he was a hanyou. And guess what? Sesshoumaru's been having those dreams too! Only, he's been experiencing them as Kazumaru himself," she explained. Inuyasha tilted his head to the side.

"Sounds fishy. Maybe you should talk to Kaede 'bout it."

"Maybe...but I can't leave Sesshoumaru like this right now." Inuyasha's ear twitched in irritation.

"You seem to really care 'bout him, don'tcha?"

"Well, I need to make sure he's alright! He's been acting all strange lately and it must be because of this Kazumaru and Kotomi thing! We're both involved with it so naturally, we both should figure out what's going on together!"

" _Together_ , huh? Did anything else happen when you two were alone in your room?" he growled. Kagome glared at Inuyasha for a long few seconds before sighing.

"Osuwari!"


	12. Truce

**Chapter 12 - Truce**

"I'm leaving! Inuyasha, make sure you check up on Sesshoumaru!"

Kagome ran out from the house, carrying her yellow bag on her back. She had decided that as soon as Sesshoumaru had completely healed, they would go back to the feudal era to talk to Lady Kaede about the cause of their strange dreams and why Kazumaru had posessed Sesshoumaru. Until then, she was going to attend school like normal and catch up on her studies. At this rate, her future grades didn't look so good.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll check up on the stupid idiot," Inuyasha grumbled as he swept the front of the house like Grandpa Higurashi had asked. _Stupid grandpa and his stupid chores_. He watched as Kagome's raven hair fluttered in the wind as she ran down the steps of the property. The brilliant colours of the autumn leaves reminded Inuyasha of a moment sometime in the past where Kagome had seemed almost mesmorised by the falling leaves. She had looked at them with such an awe filled expression. It had confused him at the time but now as he swept the leaves and looked up at the autumn coloured trees, he understood. The bitter-sweetness of it all. Dying leaves painting in beautiful colours falling to the ground, preparing for the long winter. "Sesshoumaru would never understand something like this."

"Stop slacking and get back to work!' Inuyasha turned to see Grandpa Higurashi and quickly resumed to sweeping the leaves out of the way.

* * *

Sesshoumaru sat up with a jolt. The last thing he remembered was coming home with Kagome after their outing at the mall. The memories all rushed back. The feeling of happiness and longing as he walked beside Kagome to the shops. The strange new food he tried at Wacdonalds. The three simple words he uttered to Kagome. All of a sudden, Sesshoumaru felt a pain in his head. As he shut his eyes, his hand immediately reached up to his temple and he groaned. _What's wrong with me? Why does it hurt when I remember?_ The pain receded after only a few seconds and Sesshoumaru opened his eyes once again. _I feel almost like I've been living as someone else. I don't feel...myself. How peculiar._

"Hmph." Slowly moving his legs over the side of the bed, Sesshoumaru realised he was still wearing trousers, only to discover that he wasn't wearing a top. He suddenly noticed a dull pain in his left shoulder and turned to see that it was wrapped in clean bandages. _I do not recall being injured and tended to. That wench must have wrapped these bandages._ Scowling, he rose out of the bed and walked out of the room, searching for someone who could explain what happened and where his proper clothes were so he could leave. He could smell Inuyasha and so he walked down the stairs and out the front door.

Inuyasha's ears pricked up as he caught the foul stench of his brother nearby. He turned to see Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway of the house, wearing an ugly expression on his face.

"So you're finally awake, huh? Didn't take much to take _you_ out," Inuyasha scoffed, a smug grin on his face. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.

"Inuyasha. What happened last night?" he asked, expecting a quick answer.

"You mean you don't remember?!" Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched as he recalled the very moment he caught Sesshoumaru kissing Kagome and how Sesshoumaru had attempted to strangle him to death. _It may have been Kazumaru's will but it was still Sesshoumaru's damn body._

"I don't recall any events after arriving back at this house with that girl," Sesshoumaru replied calmly.

"Well it looks like I'll have to refresh your memory if you're willing to listen. Not my problem if you don't, though. I mean I rea-"

"I am willing to listen, Inuyasha. Don't test my patience," Sesshoumaru growled.

* * *

Kagome sat at her desk, chewing her food with an exhausted expression on her face. Last night's events rushed back into her mind and she couldn't help but feel like an idiot for thinking, even for just a second, that it was Sesshoumaru coming up with all that sweet talk at the mall, that he would even try to touch her the way he had done. _Of course he wouldn't have done that on his own accord. Kazumaru must have been slowly manipulating him all this time. His actions, his feelings, everything. It's because of those stupid dreams._ She sighed in defeat.

"Kagome...Kagome...hello?" Yuka waved her hand over Kagome's face. "Looks like she's completely zoned out _again!_ "

"There must be a lot on her mind. Maybe it has something to do with Inuyasha's older half brother from yesterday?" Ayumi suggested.

"She did promise us that she would spill everything," Eri added, "but we can't get any information from her when she's acting like this!" The three friends sighed and continued to eat their lunch, trying to ignore the dark, gloomy aura emanating from Kagome. _I wonder if how I feel about Sesshoumaru is because of Kotomi-hime's feelings...wait a minute. Kazumaru had called out Kotomi-hime's name without honorifics last night. They must be close. Lovers? It's obvious! They must be! Somehow they're related to us. Because of our similar appearances?_ Kagome gasped. She felt a sense of déjà vu wash over her. Kagome stood up, slamming her hands on the table, scaring her best friends and surprising the entire class.

"I've got it!" she yelled out, smiling cheerfully. An awkward silence passed over the classroom and Kagome slowly turned beet red. "Aha...I got it...the, uh, the fly!"

"I didn't hear any flies around here," Ayumi pointed out.

"Really?" Kagome nervously laughed, "I couldn't hear myself concentrate with it buzzing all around...ahaha..." The classroom gradually resumed to its usual chatter and Kagome slumped back down into her chair, her friends muffling their own laughter.

* * *

"I see. So I was possessed by that disgusting hanyou from the dreams..." Sesshoumaru murmured. His wound had completely healed and Inuyasha had decided to hand him back his original clothing. Inuyasha nodded his head as he sat against a tree, chomping on an apple. "How repulsive. To believe I could have such idiotic feelings for that weak human girl. It was all Kazumaru's doing," he spat. Inuyasha continued nodding his head before suddenly spitting out bits of apple he was chewing.

"You had feelings for Kagome?!" he shouted in disbelief, although he had a feeling that was the case when he saw them in her room.

"I believe all my actions and feelings until now were influenced by Kazumaru. It is distasteful to think that I could have been controlled by a mere hanyou. I should have killed the girl and gone back to our world at the very beginning," Sesshoumaru continued. Inuyasha jumped up to his feet.

"Don't you dare touch Kagome or you're really going to get it," he threatened.

"I do not wish to be involved any further with this. I refuse to be manipulated by a weak demon. I will be leaving." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha before turning and walking towards the well. Inuyasha stood in silence for a few seconds before remembering how Kagome had been so intent on figuring out the reason behind the dreams. As much as he hated it, he knew he couldn't let Kagome down.

"Wait, Sesshoumaru! You can't leave yet!" Inuyasha called out. Sesshoumaru came to a halt. "Kagome had planned to find out the cause of those dreams and she thinks it's important that you come along too." A few seconds passed.

"I bear no such curiousity for something as insignificant as a dream," Sesshoumaru responded before he continued to walk away.

"I'm not letting you leave, Sesshoumaru. You have to wait for Kagome!" Inuyasha took a step forward. Sesshoumaru stopped again and turned to face Inuyasha with a scowl on his face.

"And how do you plan to stop me?"

* * *

School had ended. Kagome grabbed her bag and prepared to run out of the classroom before she suddenly ran into Hojo who was waiting outside.

"Oh hey Kagome, I wanted to talk to you," he began, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"Hi Hojo, sorry I've got no time."

"Wait! Um, I was just wondering if you would be free this weekend..."

"I'm so sorry. I'm going to be busy!" Kagome replied. _I won't even be in this time period._ "I've got to go home, bye!" _I need to get home fast and tell the others about what I figured out!_ Hojo watched her run down the hallway and he sighed in defeat. He was tired of hearing the same thing over and over again each time he asked her out, but he still wouldn't give up.

"Oh no, did you see Kagome leave? She left her math textbook here and she has homework tonight." Ayumi walked out of the classroom, holding a thick textbook. She looked around the hallway.

"I saw her just now! I'll give it to her, don't you worry!" Hojo exclaimed. Ayumi smiled and thanked Hojo as she handed him the book. He began to run in the same direction Kagome had gone only to glance out the window to see her already nearing the school gates. _How did she get there so fast?! I'll need to grab my bike._ Hojo sped up and dashed down the stairs, determined to catch up with Kagome.

* * *

"Inuyasha! Sesshoumaru!" Kagome called out as she ran up the stairs of her property. She grinned cheerfully, confident she had figured out the relationship between them and Kotomi-hime and Kazumaru. Her smiled soon faded as she heard the cracking sound of trees falling, concrete smashing and the yells of Inuyasha. Reaching the last step, she found herself in the middle of a fight between the two brothers. _I can't believe this._ Her face scrunched up in anger, Kagome stormed towards them and yelled out. "Osuwari!" Inuyasha fell face first into the concrete, creating a large ditch. Sesshoumaru calmly landed onto the ground beside him and scoffed. "What are you guys doing?!" Inuyasha lifted his face up and glared at Kagome.

"I was doing _you_ a favour and keeping Sesshoumaru here until you came home," he seethed. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise and she turned to face the white clothed dog demon.

"You were going to leave, Sesshoumaru?" she asked.

"I do not wish to be involved in such insignificant matters," he spat.

"Insignificant? You, of all youkais, were possessed!" Kagome started. Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Sesshoumaru, we've been having these dreams every night now. It's never going to end unless we find out exactly why it's happening! You know that!"

"I will not be made a fool and answer to the wishes of Kazumaru's longing to be with a mere human girl. He has influenced my actions and emotions, leading me to make choices according to his will. I am making my own decision to leave, without any manipulation from him, whatsoever."

"Then you're just running away like a coward!" Kagome yelled. Sesshoumaru growled at her accusation and clenched his fist. Kagome sighed. "Listen, I think I've figured out why we're connected to Kazumaru and Kotomi-hime. They may have been our past lives. You know how similar we look? Kikyou could have been the reincarnation of Kotomi-hime but maybe something wasn't right at her time period and she wasn't affected like we are now. We're affected because of some sort of promise, or curse, I'm not exactly sure but it's something like that!"

"So you're reincarnations of them and for some reason they want to come back now?" Inuyasha asked, skeptically. Sesshoumaru stood in silence as Kagome nodded her head. "We need to find out why they're trying to come back soon. I have a feeling that it won't only be Kazumaru trying to take control. Kotomi-hime may be trying to use you as well Kagome. I don't like the idea of you bei-"

 _SNAP_

The three turned to look behind them and saw Hojo standing silently in an awkward pose, his right foot on snapped twig. He looked as though he had been hiding behind a bush and was trying to move behind a tree. All in all, it evoked immediate suspicion among Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru.

"Hojo! What are you doing!?" Kagome exclaimed. Hojo blushed and nervously laughed.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything. I just wanted to return your textbook but I think I must have come at a bad time," he tried to explain.

"Should I take him out?" Inuyasha suggested, cracking his knuckles. Hojo jumped back as his eyes met those of Inuyasha's.

"Inuyasha! Sorry Hojo, he's got a bad temper." Kagome nervously laughed. _I need to come up with an excuse to explain everything. How much did he hear?!_ "We were just...uh...rehearsing a script, that's all!" Hojo slowly nodded but he didn't feel convinced at all that she was telling the truth. "Um, hey Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha. Could you please go inside the house? I'll talk to you about the...s-script...later," Kagome stammered. She felt that Hojo would feel intimidated with them around. Sesshoumaru scoffed and as unexpected as it was, he immediately turned to walk back to the house as Kagome asked. Inuyasha soon followed. "Thanks, really, Hojo. I can't believe you came all the way here just to give me back my book!" Kagome laughed. Hojo smiled back.

"It's okay. You've just been sick a lot and I didn't want you to get behind in your studies," he beamed. He handed her the math textbook and she shoved the thick book into her yellow backpack.

"So I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Actually, um, could I use your bathroom?" Hojo asked, nervously scratching the back of his neck again.

"Oh, of course!" Kagome smiled and lead the way.

* * *

Washing his hands in the bathroom, Hojo thought about the strange conversation he overheard when he had arrived to return Kagome's book. He felt like he would be interrupting something very serious and that seemed a bit rude. At the same time, it was also wrong for him to eavesdrop on them. Opening the door a crack, Hojo couldn't help but overhear the murmur of voices coming from the kitchen.

"We're calling a truce, okay Sesshoumaru? Until this whole thing blows over, we're going to work as a team," Kagome declared.

"Yeah and after this, you can just go off on your own and then we're all happy," Inuyasha added.

"I'm going to pack up some supplies and after I say goodbye to everyone, we're going to leave through the well tonight. I think it would be best to leave after dinner so I don't have to leave on an empty stomach. The sooner we leave the better. If you get possessed again, I don't want my family getting hurt or the house getting damaged like last night," she continued. Hojo's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion but he brushed it aside and opened the door fully to walk out. He walked into the kitchen, said goodbye and left, trying not to let their conversation bother him.

* * *

The next day, Hojo didn't seemed that surprised that Kagome was absent. Not because she was often sick but he felt it had something to do with what she was talking about with the two strange guys. _One of them had dog ears, didn't they?_ He shook his head. _Maybe I was imagining things._ He grabbed some medicine and herbs from his home and walked to her house anyways. As he arrived, Kagome's mother greeted him at the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Kagome won't be having any visitors but thank you so much for your concern. I'm sure she'll be glad you brought her this," she chirped. Hojo smiled and bid her farewell. As he left the house, he noticed a small building at the side of the property with its doors wide open. _That wasn't open yesterday._ Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he took a a few steps forward and peered through the doors. _What are you doing Hojo? You shouldn't be snooping around like this. Kagome would get mad._ Despite his thoughts, he couldn't help but notice a small well in the centre of the building. _Is that the well Kagome was talking about?_ Hojo felt silly thinking the three would go down a small well like that but he had a feeling there was something more to it. He slowly walked down the stairs and peered down the well before sighing.

"They couldn't possibly be having the same dreams as me...but they were talking about Kotomi-hime...that couldn't just be a coincidence, could it?" Hojo whispered to himself. Unbeknownst to the others, he'd been having similar dreams during the past few nights. "Don't go in the well, Hojo. How are you going to get out?" But without thinking, he was already climbing in, gripping the edges of the well with his hands as his feet tried to find a grip on the walls. "Maybe this was a bad idea..." he began before his feet slipped and with a shout he fell to the bottom, feeling a dizzying rush wash over him for a few seconds. Hojo groaned and rubbed his head with his hand. _That was painful._ _You idiot. There's no one down here. What were you trying to prove?_ He looked up at the sky and sighed. _Wait a minute._ He looked up again and rubbed his eyes. _The sky?! But the well was inside a building!_ After a long struggle climbing up the sides of the well, Hojo finally made it out and collapsed on the green grass outside the well in shock and exhaustion.

"Where...where am I?"


End file.
